Of Petals and Thorns
by SuntoryAngel
Summary: "How do we know it's an animal apparition?" He nodded as the ogre held up a rose, but it was unlike any color he had seen before: a dark indigo with bright turquoise patterns that appeared to be glowing. The little toddler bellowed a name, smiling as the blue haired reaper entered. "There you are, Botan. I have a case for Yusuke and his group."
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! I have another story for you! Like a few of the others, this one came to me as a dream and it's been on my mind for the past few days. I hope you all like it, I certainly did and so did a friend of mine when I told them about it. They liked it so much that they asked me to create a story from it and I am more than happy to oblige! I do not own rights to _ **Yu Yu Hakusho**_ , but I do own rights to one character in particular but you'll find out yourself. Without further ado, I bid you good reading!

* * *

 **Of Petals and Thorns**

 **Chapter 1**

"Koenma, sir," a blue ogre wearing a tiger-patterned waist cloth bowed his head as he peeked into the office. "There's an emergency."

The giant chair spun to reveal a small toddler with a pacifier in his mouth. "Can't you see that I'm busy?" He was dressed in a tiny blue and white onesie along with a bonnet-like hat atop his head. "I'm currently in the middle of my snack time!"

"But, sir, someone has managed to get across the border and into the human world," the ogre twiddled his thumbs as the son of King Enma practically exploded and began shouting orders left and right. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the Prince asked for the report and background of the criminal. "The only things we know at this point are that it's an animal apparition and female."

"How do we know it's an animal apparition?" He nodded as the ogre held up a rose, but it was unlike any color he had seen before: a dark indigo with bright turquoise patterns that appeared to be glowing. The little toddler bellowed a name, smiling as the blue haired reaper entered. "There you are, Botan. I have a case for Yusuke and his group."

 **...**

The morning was like every other; the sun was shining and the faint sounds of movement came from the kitchen. A woman with black curly hair and green eyes smiled as her daughter took her place at the table. "Good morning, Asuka"

"Morning, mom," the young girl smiled. Today she was dressed in a knee-length dress the color of storm clouds and decorated with silver stitching. Her shoulder length brown hair gathered into a single ponytail and her big golden eyes blinked sleepily from behind a pair of red rectangle-shaped glasses. "I was thinking about going to school today." The woman knelt in front of the girl, her hands cupping her face as she studied Asuka's face. "I know that I've missed a lot because of how sick I've been, but I'm feeling much better now."

"Are you sure? You were just released from the hospital last month, it's alright if you want to take a little more time." She sighed as Asuka insisted on going, pointing out that she had stayed caught up with studies and that she was feeling much better. It had been very touch and go for the past year, with her being in and out of intensive care, but she couldn't deny that her daughter looked better. "Alright, you may go. But you have to promise to come home the second you start to feel sick, deal?" Asuka smiled, hugging her briefly before turning her attention to the food on the table.

She hurriedly ate her fill, a small stack of two strawberry pancakes with a side of bacon strips and a glass of skim milk, and was out the door. She was so excited and caught up with the fair weather that she didn't notice that she had taken a wrong turn and ended up at the gates of one of the other middle schools: Sarayashiki Junior High. "Oh great, the first time in almost a year that I can go to school and I get lost..." she mumbled, searching the gathering students. Who could she ask? A bell rang through her head as her eyes fell on a youth dressed in a green uniform. There was something about him that pulled her in, something that she couldn't put to words. "Excuse me," she stepped up and tapped his shoulder lightly, flinching slightly as he turned and fixed her with an annoyed look.

"What?" he asked, blinking as he took in her appearance. "You don't look like you're from around here. What, did you get lost or something? I don't think I've seen any uniforms like that before."

She hung her head slightly, embarrassment clear on her face. "I-I'm so sorry to bother you, but can you help me find Meioh Private Academy? I seemed to have-" Her words were cut off by a youth dressed in a similar uniform, only this one was wearing one that matched the other students', suddenly appearing next to her.

"Yusuke Urameshi, you're pathetic. To think that I would catch you in the act and on school grounds no less," he shook his head as a tick mark appeared on the other youth's head but paid no mind. "Sorry, miss, but I really need to get him to class. You see, he's a bit of a slacker and likes to skip out on school."

She wilted slightly but nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry for keeping you." As she turned away, a hand grasped her shoulder and she blinked in surprise as Yusuke smiled at her and offered to take her to the correct school. Asuka stepped away from him and protested, saying that she didn't want to keep him from anything, but slipped into silence as he walked past her and began walking down the street. She fell into step next to him in time to hear him ask her name. "Asuka Yamashita, and I really appreciate you helping me out like this."

"Asuka, nice name. Suits you. I take it you haven't been to school in a while," he peeked at her. "Is school a drag for you too?"

"No, I absolutely love it," she smiled, her eyes rising to the sky. "I haven't been able to go for nearly a year now because I was too sick, but now that I'm better I can start attending again!"

He chuckled. "You would get along great with a friend of mine. He actually goes to the school you said you were going. Maybe you've bumped into each other."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye out," she nodded as the gates came into view. "Thank you so much for your help. I greatly appreciate it, Mr. Urameshi."

"Call me Yusuke. See ya." He waved, spinning on his heel and heading the back the way he came. Pausing in mid-step, he looked back and called for her to hold on a second. Pulling out a pen and sticky note, he scribbled something down and slipped it into her hand than darted down the road. "I wrote down his name for you, so be sure to keep an eye out for him."

"I will, and thank you again for showing me the way!" she called, waving and slipping the paper into her dress pocket as the bell rang.

The staff were ecstatic to see her and were more than willing to help her get accustomed to school again. Her homeroom teacher embraced her briefly then lead her to the classroom. "Everyone, please welcome back Asuka Yamashita." The teacher placed her hands on Asuka's shoulders. "She has been absent for quite a while, so be sure to make her feel right at home. Why don't we put you next to the window there behind Mr. Minamino." A boy with crimson red head stood and smiled, gesturing to the seat behind him. She took her seat, smiling in return briefly, then focused on the teacher as class began.

 **...**

"Where did you run off to?" Yusuke waved a hand as he walked past Botan and out of the classroom as the final bell rang. His expression became filled with annoyance as she held up a VHS tape before slipping it into his bag. "Seriously?"

"Stop complaining. You should be able to get it done in the blink of an eye," Botan rolled her eyes. "Besides, I'm sure Hiei and Kurama would make it go by even faster."

"Whatever," he shrugged, turning and heading in the direction that he had taken earlier that day as Kuwabara appeared next to him. "Let's go grab Kurama."

They found him standing between a girl they didn't recognize and the Science Club. She was clearly uncomfortable and was shaking slightly. "My apologies," Kurama bowed apologetically to the clearly desperate group of students as he spotted the Spirit Detective and Reaper. "But I must be going." And in the blink of an eye, he slipped past the students with the girl in tow and met the two at the gates. "You unknowingly just saved me from a sticky situation."

"Glad to be of service," Botan smiled curiously, casting a glance toward the girl that clung to Kurama's side. "I trust you've been well?"

"Yes, thank you. So tell me, what brings you here to greet me like this? I doubt that you are here for a social call." the fox returned her smile. He cast a look over his shoulder as the girl hid behind once more. "It's alright, these are friends of mine. I would like you to meet Botan, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. Everyone, this is Miss Asuka Yamashita."

When she heard Yusuke's name, she peeked out and offered a smile as she mentioned that he had helped her to school. "And Miss Botan," she slipped behind the young woman and began to gently stroke her hair. "I love your hair. It's so soft and shiny!"

Botan smiled and thanked her for the compliments. "You have a fine head of hair yourself. I believe I see some copper and strawberry highlights."

"I hate to interrupt, ladies," Kurama politely intervened. "but I should probably be getting Miss Yamashita home." She withered slightly as she moved to stand next to him, nodding in agreement as she looked at her mobile phone and seeing the text that her mother had sent. "Shall we be off?"

"Yes, but you don't have to walk me back if you have other plans." Asuka objected, as they began walking. He insisted that it was no problem, but she still felt as if she was keeping him from something important. She quickened her pace until her street corner came into view, then waved before darting down the street. "I'm sorry that I took so much of your time. See you tomorrow!"

Kurama blinked as she waved and disappeared down a street. She was an interesting one, he'd give her that. He turned his attention to the teens behind him as they caught up and spotted the VHS tape in the Spirit Detective's hands. "I see, so that's why you met me at school. Since we are so close to my house, why don't we watch it there?" His footsteps stalled in front of one of the houses on the street, a couple buildings away from his own home. It didn't look any different than those around it, including his own, but there was a strange scent the seemed to come from it. It was almost familiar, as if a distant memory was attempting to come to the surface. He shook his head and continued walking as his companions called his name. "Sorry about that. Let's go on inside."

His mother welcomed them with smiles and waved them on upstairs with promises of snacks and drinks. It wasn't until they were settled with refreshments that Yusuke finally pulled out the VHS. Kurama slid it into the player, switched the set on, and pressed play. The case was a simple one, a track and return assignment, but his interest peaked when a rose was held up. "That's from an animal apparition, but I can't think of any that would cause the rose to turn that color," he confessed. "I'll do some research in the demon realm to see if I can find anything."

"In the meantime, everyone else needs to keep their eyes and ears open," Yusuke instructed, earning nods. "If you have the slightest suspicion, knock 'em out and we'll interrogate later."

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Well? What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments, I love to hear from the readers!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, everyone!

 **Iduna** : Thank you so much for the review! I'm so glad that you are enjoying it so far and I hope you enjoy it until the end!

I have another chapter for you! I do not own rights to **_Yu Yu Hakusho_** , but I do own rights to one character in particular but you'll find out yourself. Without further ado, I bid you good reading!

* * *

 **Of Petals and Thorns**

 **Chapter 2**

 _"…_ _Why?..."_

Asuka sat upright, sweat trickling down her brow. Her head swiveled as she searched the room but she was alone. "Was I…dreaming?" she whispered, running a hand through her hair. Her breath caught as many strands of hair tangled in her fingers. Time seemed to freeze as a shadow moved near her window, a figure with hair that stood upright. "Who are you?!"

 _"…_ _Why?"_

The figure faded, leaving only empty space. "Why is this happening to me?" Her head fell in against her knees as tears filled her eyes. She tensed as a knock came from the door as well as her mother's voice. Rubbing her eyes, she hurriedly stood and peeked out the door in time to see her mother descend the stairs. "I'll be right down!" she called, closing the door and shoving the handful of hair into the waste basket as she quickly put her locks into its traditional single pony then dressed. She slipped out onto the back porch while on her way to the kitchen and fondly gazed at the blooming rosebush that sat in the corner.

Her mother had bought it shortly after giving birth to Asuka and had passed its care unto her when she had turned ten. Even when she was sick, she would ask her mother to bring the plant to the hospital so that she could care for it. The blooms were still on the small side but their vibrant colors portrayed the emotion and care that she had put forth to them. There were red, white, yellow, even orange that came together to form the beautiful bush. "You're looking amazing," she whispered while watering it. "Let's get better together!" During her stay in the hospital, the roses had been attacked by a bug swarm and was on the verge of dying, but it miraculously began to come back to life when Asuka herself started on the road to recovery.

Asuka slid the porch door closed behind her just before her mother called for her again. "Did you sleep well?" her mother asked while sliding an omelet onto the plate.

She nodded, lifting the glass of water to her lips. It nearly fell from her hand as a dark shadow appeared in the window. Standing, she rushed to the window and flung it open, cringing at the sudden sunlight that blinded her. A breath escaped her as the spots finally faded and revealed a cat on the fence. "I think I might still be half asleep…" Her mother appeared at her side immediately asking questions, but Asuka waved her away as the doorbell rang.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," a familiar voice echoed down the hallway and into the kitchen. "I'm one of Asuka's classmates."

Was that- She leapt from her chair and poked her head out, smiling and blinking in surprise as familiar crimson hair came into view. "I'll be right there!" Asuka quickly wolfed down the rest of her breakfast and grabbed her bag as she passed the hallway bench. "Good morning, Shuichi!"

"Good morning." Kurama greeted as she moved to stand next to him. They bowed and began their way to the school. Asuka blushed lightly as he reached up and picked something from her cheek, a piece of egg between his fingertips. "I see that you were in a hurry to finish your meal, should I come by a little later tomorrow?"

"You don't have to walk me to school everyday," she shook her head in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Her breath caught as a shadow on the opposite side of the street shifted and she unconsciously moved closer to Kurama.

For the briefest of seconds, his green orbs too had spotted the shadow and took a deep breath. So it appeared that Hiei was on the move. His thoughts of the case were interrupted by Asuka's sudden movement closer to his side. "It's nothing to worry about," he soothed, smiling. "It was probably just a cat."

"Uh…yeah," she nodded, forcing her lips into a smile. "Come on, let's hurry before we're late."

 **…**

"How were your classes today?"

"They were alright, I guess," Asuka shrugged as they began walking home. "I can make it home on my own today, you don't have to follow me everywhere."

Kurama nodded. "Alright, if you insist. I will see you in the morning then." His eyes followed her as she stepped down her street before they closed. "Hello, Hiei, it's been awhile."

A short man with jet black hair dropped from the tree next to him. Dressed in a black cloak, he would almost appear as a monk if it weren't for his hard and cold eyes. "You finally lost that girl. Is she your new girlfriend?"

"I noticed that you were searching the street this morning. Have you found anything yet?"

Hiei smirked. "I may have, but I won't know until I observe a little more." When Kurama sent him a questioning glance, the shorter apparition held up a rose similar to the one that had been in the video. "I found this at the school you go to. Know anything about it?"

"May I?" Kurama took the rose and examined it from every angle. It looked like an ordinary rose, but its dark color left him bemused. They blinked as the rose's hue slowly returned to a more natural shade of red. "In all my life, I have never seen a rose like this." Taking a deep breath, his nose was able to pick up the faintest hint of- "Vanilla?"

"Isn't vanilla something you put in food?"

"Yes, so why would it be on an inedible plant?"

 **…**

Asuka was just stepping out of the shower when the voice from before whispered into her ear. Shaking her head, she slipped into her room and closed the door with a click. A shiver shot down her spine as a shadow moved past the window. "Why ask me? It's not like I know the answer to your unasked question. I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I don't know how to help you."

 _"_ _He left me…"_

She blinked as the room swam out of focus. "What are you-" Her breathing grew shallow as a tight pain entered her chest and her legs buckled. The last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was her reflection and it was unrecognizable. Instead of sienna, her hair was navy and her eyes had taken on a copper tinge with a sapphire ring around the outer edge.

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _Asuka spun around, but everywhere she looked it was all black. The carpet, the walls, the furniture, even the sunlight coming through the window was black. The voice kept calling out, but no matter how hard she tried no sound came from her own lips. She felt her heart miss a beat when she looked down and found herself covered from head to toe in red._

 _"_ _Why?!"_

 _Panic rose in her as the red began to spread and cover her entire being. What is this?! What's happening to me?! Her eyes widened as world began to warp around her, the ground rising to become the ceiling and the furniture began to fall like rain._

 **…**

"Asuka, time to get ready for school!" The woman called through the door. When she didn't receive an answer, she knocked once more and peeked in. "Asuka?" She fell onto her knees next to the bed the second her eyes fell on her daughter. The girl was sweating and was as pale as death despite the feverish red in her cheeks. Tears fell from her eyes as her daughter remained unconscious despite her callings. "Asuka, wake up! Asuka!" She collected the girl into her arms and raced down the stairs, grabbing her keys and purse. Just as she was about to lock the door, the keys fell from her shaking hand and into an unfamiliar hand that appeared from nowhere.

"Hello, I'm here to escort Asuka to school. You must be her mother-" Kurama's eyes widened when he saw Asuka wrapped in the blanket she was carrying. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm so sorry, but she will not be attending school today," she bowed, snatching the keys and hurried over to her car. His hand grasped her own, stalling her movements in time for him to take Asuka from her. "What are you-"

"You drive and I'll keep her stable!" He opened the driver's door and the one behind it before slipping into the backseat.

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Sorry that the chapter is so short and choppy, but I will try to make the next longer! Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another chapter! A big thanks to everyone who is giving this a chance, luvs you!

A REALLY big THANK YOU to the following for the reviews:

 **SeleneAlice**

 **Iduna**

Without further ado, I bid you good reading! I don't own rights to _**Yu Yu Hakusho!**_ Enjoy!

* * *

 **Of Petals and Thorns**

 **Chapter 3**

"You're at the hospital?!"

"Please, keep your voice down," Kurama held the phone a few inches from his ear as Botan's voice caused his ears to ring. He and Mrs. Yamashita had been waiting for six hours , which had given him the time to call his own mother and school to explain the situation. "I'm not the one who required medical attention." He glanced towards the ER unit that had a it's light on. When he had seen her in Mrs. Yamashita's arms he thought that she was merely sleeping, bu the woman's panic told him otherwise. His thoughts swam back to the car ride...

 _Flashback Start_

 _"I can't believe this, I thought that she was doing better!" Mrs. Yamashita's grip tightened on the steering wheel as she glanced at her daughter in the rear-view mirror._

 _"Has this happened before?" Kurama asked, checking for a pulse and finding it faint. She nodded and explained that this had been happening for about a year now. His interest peaked when she mentioned that Asuka had been acting strange the other day. Now that he thought about it, she had been acting strange. He blinked as a strange scented wafted the car through the open driver's window: vanilla. His head shot up, searching the street, but it was completely deserted._ Odd _, he thought._ There should be people rushing to work and students rushing to school.

 _"It's you..." His eyes widened as a figure appeared in the center of the street ahead of the car and the vanilla grew stronger. Under his fingertips he felt the pulse pause as the voice echoed in the car and Asuka's breathing grew erratic. It was hazy and clouded, but a pair of slanted animalistic copper eyes that bore into his own emerald orbs. They were soft and filled with moisture the closer the car came. "You_ are _here..." His mouth opened as he attempted to shout a warning for it to get to safety but snapped closed as the mist faded. Looking to Mrs. Yamashita, he found that she was not aware of what just happened._

 _Flashback Ends_

"Kurama?"

He shook his head, turning his attention back to the phone in his hand. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I was asking if you had found anything about that weird colored rose." He shook his head and replied that the closest thing that he had found was a fact that the apparition was a part of the feline family. There was sounds of shuffling and he sweat dropped as Yusuke's voice replaced Botan's. "Do you have nay idea how many cats there are in this city?!" The Spirit Detective was right; there were countless cats living in the city. The light above the ER doors turned off and Mrs. Yamashita's sudden jump to her feet caught his attention. He said that he would call later and slipped the phone into his pocket as a doctor appeared.

Mrs. Yamashita rushed to him, questions flowing from her lips faster than Kurama thought humanly possible. The doctor sympathetically bowed his head as he gestured for them to follow him through the doors. "It's a shame to see her here," he shook his head as they came to a stop in front of a room and turned his attention to Kurama. "I understand that you were checking her vitals on the way here, very smart thinking on your part. Would you mind telling me about her condition on the way here?."

Kurama nodded. "Her pulse was faint and faltered every once in a while, there was at one point where it stopped." Mrs. Yamashita gasped when he told of her daughter's erratic breathing. "It leveled out after about a minute though."

"Thank you for the info. Here's the hard part," Mrs. Yamashita wrung her hands as the doctor ran a hand through his hair. "During the past few hours, she has slipped in and out of a coma state. There were a few times where her heart stopped and we needed to perform CPR or administer adrenaline." With his head hanging, he pushed a button and the blinds opened. "She's stable for now, but it doesn't look as if she will be leaving anytime soon."

Kurama's eyes widened as Mrs. Yamashita clutched her heart as her legs buckled, quickly catching hold of her arms. He couldn't blame her for her reaction though as he too looked into the room. Among the machines and wires laid an unconscious Asuka that looked paler than a sheet of paper. His eyes were drawn to her face as her lashes twitched and his breathing stalled as her eyes opened to reveal the same animalistic eyes from before. They were unfocused and watery, but they held no malice or ill-will. If anything...they were filled with sadness and despair. He helped the Mrs onto the bench near the window but his eyes never left the girl as her eyes closed and the hazy mist from before appeared above her still form.

His head swiveled as the voice from before echoed through the hallway. "Why?..." The voice shook slightly and he was able to pick up feminine ring in it. "Why did you leave?..." And then the mist vaporized into nothing.

 **...**

"So what are you saying?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. They were now gathered in the waiting room and Mrs. Yamashita was in her daughter's room. "That the apparition is a cat-girl hybrid?"

"It's not unusual," Kurama pointed to himself. After all, he was the White Fox who had the ability to transform into human shape. A lot of demons and apparitions had that ability, which didn't make their case any easier. "Besides, I'm confident that Hiei and myself would be able to track them down soon enough. Though I admit it won't be easy since they have yet to reveal their physical form."

Kuwabara thumped his chest and earned a glare from a few of the visitors at the next table as he proclaimed that he himself would find the apparition first due to his spiritual awareness. They yelped as Hiei appeared behind them, who smirked as they slipped from their seats and moved across the room. His eyes were locked on Kurama's briefly before establishing a telepathic link and sending him an image of the street that he had been observing. _Meet me here when you can_ , he sent, then disappeared.

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There's a twist! Please let me know in the comments! Xoxooxxxoxoxo!


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